Preliminary results for the August 5 primary election show clear winners headed to the November general election and a few races still waiting on more votes.
The election is a top-two primary, meaning the two candidates with the most votes advance to the November 4 general election, regardless of party affiliation. Races that did not have more than two candidates were not on August ballots and will move automatically to the November election.
About 42,295 ballots were counted across Whatcom County by August 6, constituting 30.5 percent of registered voters. According to the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office, there are another 1,100 ballots left to count.
Point Roberts Hospital District
In the race for Point Roberts Public Hospital Commissioner Position 2, Allison Calder placed first with 94 votes (22.8%), followed by Alyssa Clark with 93 votes (22.5%), Alison Strombom with 90 votes (21.8%), Jen Olson Kurcz with 81 votes (19.6%), and Solomon Loop with 53 votes (12.8%). There were two write-in votes for a total vote count of 413 votes.
Whatcom County Council
The Whatcom County Council District 2 race, which represents north Bellingham, saw Elizabeth Boyle come out ahead with 54.3 percent (5,324 votes). Maya Morales is currently ahead of Mike Cullum with 2,361 votes (24.1%) compared to Cullum’s 2,078 votes (21.2%).
The race for Whatcom County Council District 3, representing east county, is looking to position newcomers Jessica Rienstra and Kyle Christensen over incumbent Tyler Byrd. Rienstra received 5,344 votes (49.4%), while Christensen followed with 2,494 votes (23.1%) with Byrd trailing with 20.5 percent (2,217 votes). Another contestant, Daniel Probst, received 6.7 percent (728 votes).
Whatcom County Library System levy
Proposition 2025-02, a ballot measure to restore the Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) property tax to $0.42 per $1,000 of assessed home value, appeared to pass with 55.7 percent of returned ballots, or 14,751 voters, approving the levy lid lift.
This will be the first property tax rate increase from the library district since 2009. The library system levy rate had dropped to $0.26 as assessed home values rose and state law limiting a one percent annual increase on levy collection.
For an owner of a house valued at $600,000, the increase will cost an additional $8 per month, or $96 annually, to their property tax payment, according to WCLS.
Results in this article were released at 8:05 p.m. August 5. For updated results and precinct-level data, visit bit.ly/40SCcn2. Results will be certified Tuesday, August 19.
Nolan Baker and Pat Grubb contributed to the reporting of this article.
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